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Canucks dealing with disturbing trends heading into Game 2

Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo (left) and teammates Kevin Bieksa and Dan Hamhuis sit on the bench during their loss to the San Jose Sharks in Game 1 of their NHL playoff series in Vancouver May 1, 2013. (REUTERS/Andy Clark)

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Goals have been at a premium for the Vancouver Canucks in the playoffs going back to the summer of 2011.

Stanley Cup tournament wins on home ice have been at a premium that far back, too.

As a result, that sound you hear is the noose tightening on the Canucks.

On the heels of their 3-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks in the opener of their best-of-seven series, the Canucks are staring at a couple of disturbing trends heading into Friday's Game 2.

One is the fact they've lost five straight games at the Rogers Arena.

The second is the Canucks have netted only 13 goals in their last 11 playoff clashes, a string which dates back to the final couple of games of the 2011 Stanley Cup final against the Boston Bruins.

"I'm not concerned about what's happened in the past right now. Our team is in the moment, and that's getting ready for (Friday) night's game," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said after Thursday's practice.

Sure, the days of the West Coast Express are as extinct as grunge rock, but it's shocking to think a team with the likes of the Sedins, Ryan Kesler, Alexandre Burrows and Mason Raymond would have this much trouble lighting the lamp.

Didn't they add Jason Garrison and Derek Roy to change things?

Vigneault switched up his lines in practice, mainly putting together Kesler, Roy and Chris Higgins in the hopes of having a sniping second unit.

Then again, if their big guns aren't firing, it's not going to matter if secondary scoring is only coming in fits and spurts.

"Overall, our team needs to be a few percent better in everything we do, but our line has to step up big in that way," said captain Henrik Sedin, who never backs away from the slings and arrows when the team is struggling. "I don't think we played a terrible game, but we didn't create enough offence. We had no sustained pressure in their end and didn't create turnovers. We're doing that when we play our best."

Sedin's line wasn't the only one given the message to be more assertive and crash the net.

The theme of Thursday's practice was making transition plays out of the defensive zone and getting shots and traffic to the net in the offensive zone.

"There's not a lot of room out there, but we've got to have that shooting mentality," Kesler said. "We can't look for that extra pass. We've got to jam the net, jam pucks in there. You saw the way we scored our goal and you saw the way they scored their goals. It's battles in there and dirty goals. We need more of that.

"You put pressure on yourself, but it's an opportunity. It's an opportunity to do a great thing. I'm looking to put my best foot forward and rise to the occasion."

The good news, if it's possible to see things that way, is the Canucks have plenty of experience dealing with the many swings of the playoffs.

The bulk of their core has all kinds of playoff experience, good and bad.

"Our players are, in my mind, are battle tested and pressure tested," said Vigneault, who added he believed his team had more five-on-five scoring chances in the opener. "But at the end of the day, it's about making plays. Right now, what we need to do is make more plays."

At the other end of the rink, Roberto Luongo will remain in goal. Cory Schneider, the Canucks' No. 1 netminder who's battling an undisclosed injury, didn't practice.